Compare that $110 million to the Professional Golfers' Association of America tournament, which brings in about $90 million every few years, she said.

About 550,000 people - 75 percent of whom come from different states and countries - attended AirVenture in 2015, Cuff said.

While 7,500 of them stayed in Oshkosh, it's common for many others to book rooms in other cities and travel to the convention.

In Fond du Lac it's historically the top booking event, said Craig Molitor, president of the Fond du Lac Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"It's our absolute biggest tourism event of the summer," he said.

But hoteliers aren't the only ones benefiting from the influx of people. Businesses, gas stations, restaurants and more all get a piece of the pie, as 75 percent of money a tourist brings to a community is spent outside the hotel, he said.

"It's just a ripple effect throughout the community," Molitor said.

While Pam Seidl, executive director of the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. said the organization doesn't track AirVenture-specific data, the event has a significant impact in the Fox Cities as well.

"It's an important time for us to not only welcome visitors, but showcase the area to visitors, and it always is a very fun and exciting week," she said. "We love it too because there's people from all over the world."

Restaurants in Appleton see more families for dinner, or they may go shopping or see what else the city has to offer, she said.

Further south, Milwaukee feels the impact in its busy hotels, restaurants and other attractions., too.

"It's such a short drive between Oshkosh and Milwaukee that its an easy trek for someone to make," said Kristen Settle, director of communications for Visit Milwaukee. "I think that anytime there's a regional event or convention like this that has such a national draw, it just boosts the entire state."